Those last few kilos - making shift happen
Are you struggling with those last few baby kilos?
I am - well I was until this week. Let me explain. My daughter is 16 weeks old and I started exercising when she was 6 weeks old. Prior to falling pregnant I had just completed the first stage of my weight loss journey and I had lost 20 kilos. The additional 15 I was left to lose to get down to my healthy weight range was put on hold until bubs was born.In the past 10 weeks I worked much harder than the time I lost the 20 kilos plus I was eating healthier than ever. To give you an idea, when I lost the 20 kilos my exercise for the most part consisted of walking on weekends for one or two hours. For 10 weeks I have been working out a minimum of 7 times a week, some weeks more than 7 times. As opposed to brisk strolls I have been jogging, yes jogging (I can’t believe it either) on my treadmill and elliptical trainer for 40 minutes - every day. Plus three times a week I do weight training. So I have been pretty displeased to say the least in the results this hard work has been getting me.
Now, back to my struggle with the excess baby kilos - there were 4 of them to be precise, 4 friends who long overstayed their welcome. I put on 14 kilos during my pregnancy and lost 10 within the first two weeks. For 10 weeks I have worked my butt off and the scales have not been accommodating. I used to find weighing in a joyful experience because I consistently lost kilos. It is quite novel (to put it nicely) to have 10 weeks worth of weighing in with nil weight loss.
I became so concerned and frustrated that I even asked my GP for advice. Her theory was that it took me nine months to put the excess weight on so it was going to take me nine months to lose it. I decided not to take her theory on, especially since a) she was a size 8 and b) she is not a mother. I decided that I was going to prove her theory wrong. I would love to hear from you if you have got back to your original weight in less than 9 months. I have posted this article in the Parent Wellbeing forum so that you can add your personal comments.
Something extraordinary happened this week. I lost more than one kilo. That is not as extraordinary as to how I actually achieved that result and what I learnt from the experience - so I thought I would share it with you.
One week ago today I woke up with a nasty headache that lasted a couple of days, I decided to give exercise a break for two days. On the third and fourth day I didn’t exercise because I had so many early appointments booked. My first tip is to you is do your exercise at the most convenient and enjoyable time for you every single day. For example, if I don’t exercise in the morning the chances of me exercising that day decrease dramatically.
On the fifth day I hopped on the scales to work out what I had cost myself on the scales by not exercising for almost a week. Lo and behold I was amazed by the most beautiful number I saw - right there in front of my eyes. I had lost 1.4 kilos! In my 20 kilo weight loss experience there was not one single week that I lost more than one kilo. I realised at that moment I was exercising too much and not eating enough.
How good did I feel knowing that I had to either decrease my exercise or increase my calorie intake to continue losing weight? Do I have to answer that? Of course I am not advocating that you do this but I do have some tips to share about what you could do if the kilos are not budging.
1) Start recording what you eat so you have a record, this way if you aren’t losing weight you can adjust your menu plan. My plan is to start eating more calories every day and having a record of what I have eaten in the last ten weeks helps me do this easily. Contact ShapeShifters and request a complimentary copy of our Thought for Food journal.
2) Consult a dietician who specialises in assisting you work out your metabolism type and who will provide you with an appropriate low GI weight loss plan for you to follow. This way you can make sure you are eating the right amount of calories - not too little and not too much. If you would like such a plan, with or without coaching support, we can help. ShapeShifters has secured a 12 week weight loss program from an accredited practising dietician.
3) Review your exercise regime. Are you exercising too much or not enough? There are many professionals who can assist you work out how much exercise is recommended on a daily basis, for example, personal trainers. Visit the resources page of www.healthyandhappy.com.au and you will find a (growing) list of recommended personal trainers. The Department of Health and Ageing recommends that for adults the minimum amount of physical activity required to enhance your health is 30-minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most, preferably all days of the week.
4) If the kilos are not budging then try something different. Don Berwick (who happens to be the CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement) says “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you have always got”. This point was proven in my case - I did something different and it worked. If I stop losing weight down the track then I will try something different again.
5) In response to my GP’s claims that it will take me 9 months to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight I say “It’s mind over matter, not mind over fatter.” I truly do not believe it will NOT take me 5 months to lose my excess 3 kilos - I will keep you updated in future blogs.
Danielle Ferris, Head Coach
ShapeShifters - supporting, guiding and motivating women to achieve their ideal weight, health and lifestyle goals
